How To Cook Healthy Meals? There are many ways to cook, but there different ways you need to cook if you want to cook healthy meals. You will produce meals healthier meals when you try the following methods of food preparation:
• Choose fresh ingredients – the very freshest you can. Not only is this healthier for you, but you will need less fat and salt in your cooking if your food ingredients are flavorful on their own.
• Find low-fat and cholesterol-friendly recipes in cookbooks and plan to make these recipes. There are many recipe books at your local library – and many of these feature heart-healthy and fast recipes that can make cholesterol-friendly eating a snap. Don’t overlook cookbooks that feature Chinese, Japanese, Raw food, Vegan, and Indian recipes. These are often heart-friendly and contain enough variety to keep you happy with your low-fat diet forever.
• Buy some fresh herbs. Use these to add flavor to your cooking rather than relying on salt. If you must use salt, use only a pinch of the best sea salt you are able to buy.
• If you have recipes you cannot part with, switch ingredients to healthier alternatives. Use good olive oil instead of butter, low-fat products instead of the regular kind and experiment with cutting salt out of recipes entirely.
Cooking to lower your cholesterol is not very hard. There are a few basic foods that almost anyone can make that can keep your health in good shape:
Salads: Even if you are not an excellent cook, you can easily create a salad that is enticing. Simply chop up some favorite salad greens (mescaline mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, herbs) and garnish with a few nuts. You can make your own dressing by mixing herbs (such as basil or thyme) and a squirt of lemon or you can choose prepared dressings that are very low in salt and fats. You can also create a very low fat salad dressing by combining half an avocado with some herbs and lemon juice. Avoid croutons, bacon bits, whole milk products such as cheeses, eggs, and other high-fat foods in your salads. If you do want to add meat to your salad, opt for skinless poultry.
Fruit Salads: Chopping up some of your favorite fruits, berries, and lemons can make a beautiful and attractive salad that is very low fat. If you are using apples or other fruits that tend to “brown” in your salad, a squirt of lemon juice over your salad will keep your fruit salad attractive and healthy. A fruit salad is an especially excellent choice for breakfast or a later meal and is appropriate even for those who have very high cholesterol and so must follow a very low-fat and very low-cholesterol diet.
Sandwiches: Sandwiches are quite easy to make. Simply choose whole grain healthy breads or pitas or tortillas that are low in fats and salts and choose lots of vegetables for your sandwiches. Stay away from nutrient depleted white breads and avoid highly processed deli and sandwich meats. Instead purchase skinless chicken breast and cook it in a slow cooker or oven with the seasonings of your choice. Slice it up and store in the refrigerator for using in your sandwiches. Instead of fats or mayonnaise on your sandwiches – which can increase the fat content of you sandwiches considerably – choose to flavor your sandwich with fresh sweet onions or low-sodium mustard or salsa.
Pastas: There are a number of pastas available, from fresh pasta or dried pasta to vegetable pastas and rice pastas. There are also whole wheat varieties available that you may want to try. All can be made into delicious and heart-friendly meals in minutes. Simply cook the pasta in a pot. Shred your favorite vegetables or cut them into very small pieces. Combine the vegetables with some low-sodium and low-fat chicken or vegetable broth and cook until vegetables are softer but still crisp. Add the pasta and toss until the vegetables are the desired consistency. Add your favorite fresh herbs (basil is a good choice) and combine. This can be a very tasty combination and is still quite healthy for you. You can make similar meals with brown rice or even low-fat tofu. It is best to cook from scratch since many prepared pasta dishes use plenty of salt or cream-based sauces.
For those days with hectic schedules it can help to have these ingredients prepared ahead of time on days when your schedule allows. Cook up your pasta, cool and store in refrigerator. Cut up your veggies and store in containers in the refrigerator and then you can have them sautéed and ready to add to your pasta in just minutes.
Smoothie: Combine your favorite fresh fruits in a blender with fresh fruit juice and a small squirt of honey. Combine until blended. This makes an excellent and very healthy snack. It can also be a great quick breakfast on days when you are in a rush. Experiment with different fruit combinations to find different tastes. Chilling or even freezing some of the fruit before serving can produce a nice chilled drink that is perfect for summer. If you are craving desserts, you can add a small amount of very low fat frozen yogurt to this recipe and use frozen fruits to get a tasty and heart-friendly alternative to ice cream and other desserts.
Grilled dishes: Brushing vegetables and lean meats with lemon juice and herbs and grilling on the barbeque is a great way to enjoy fat-free good-for-you foods that are easy and fast to create.
Lean meat dishes: When you have chosen your lean cuts of meat, you can make these foods even healthier by reducing the amount of fat you use in preparing them. For example, marinating poultry and other meats in lemon juice and fresh dill or in pureed fruits and vegetables is a heart-friendly way to get plenty of flavor into your cooking without adding fat. At many fish shops, you can get planks of cedar that are perfect for baking or grilling fish – simply place the fish on the cedar, cover with lemon juice and possibly herbs and grill or bake until done.
Desserts and Snacks: Limiting desserts and snacks in general can help you control your weight and your calories intake and so keep your heart healthy. If you absolutely crave a dessert or snack, though, try to stave off the craving with fresh fruit. If this does not work, occasionally eating low-fat desserts and snacks such as angel food cake, fig and fruit bars, low-fat yogurt, fruit sherbet, gelatins, animal or graham crackers, wafers, puddings made with low-fat milk that make lower-fat alternatives. However, these products still do often contain sodium, plenty of calories and some fats, so overindulging in these will certainly not allow you to keep your heart healthy. Also, take care to read the labels on these snacks and choose the brands with the least sugar, calories, fat, and salt that you can.
You might find it best to only have those snacks in the house that are easy for you to resist or that take a little time to prepare. That way just knowing you have to spend some time to make it can help reduce the need for it and you will turn to a healthier alternative.
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